ARTICLES ABOUT FAMILY TIES BY DATE - PAGE 2

For years, Brad and Shelly Reipke, of Crystal Lake, enjoyed a friendship with their older neighbor, Bill. "He was like a surrogate uncle," said Brad Reipke. "He taught me a lot about gardening. He shoveled our snow when I was out of town. We had him over for dinner. None of us has family nearby, so we became family. " When Bill got lung cancer two years ago, the Reipkes helped him stay in his home by bringing him food and doing his chores. When he was too weak to care for himself, the Reipkes took him in. Bill, who had two older brothers who were unable to help him, lived with the Reipkes until he moved to the Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois in Woodstock, where he died in the summer.

We are busy getting rid of "things. " We don't want to be thought of as conspicuous consumers. I'm getting ready for Thanksgiving. My children and their children will join me for traditional dinner, games (this year I bought a Wii!), and lots of good memories. As I prepare, I polish the silver (Grandma gave it to me for my first marriage, 50 years ago). I set out serving dishes. They include Great Grandma's bread plate (I can see it setting on the sideboard in her dining room even as I get it ready for my dinner)

"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" 9 p.m. Friday, Sundance Sidney Lumet's farewell picture, released in 2007, marshaled many of his favorite themes — crime, New York, punishment, family ties — in an unpredictable comedy-drama about two brothers, played by Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plan a robbery of their parents' suburban jewelry store. Chronologically tricky, and no less so tonally, the film asserts Lumet's love of performance, and his disinterest in taking the easy way out of any moral dilemma.

For seven years, America rooted for Meredith Baxter as she played Elyse Keaton on the hit television series "Family Ties. " But as her career flourished, Baxter suffered in silence. Her low self esteem, failing marriages and traumatic childhood left her emotionally distraught. Yes, even the rich and famous have mommy issues. "My mother made me call her by her stage name, Whitney Blake," said Baxter, who removed the "Birney" from her name more than 20 years ago when she divorced her second husband, David Birney.

1. Illinois seeks to seize prisoner's wages (March 15). Kensley Hawkins should have just spent it all on cigarettes and pay-per-view. To pay for the first 22 years of his stay, Illinois wants Hawkins' $11,000 in savings to offset total room charges of $455,000, or about $57 per night. This suggests a business the state might get into to make up its budget shortfall. "Illinois: We'll leave the light on. And the door locked from the outside. " 2. Porn star linked to Sheen hospitalized (March 16)

Mary Gross bounds to the deli table with Silly Bandz on her wrists, a bounce in her step and a tickle in her voice. Her older brother, Michael — like Mary a transplanted Chicagoan and 1980s TV star — greets her with a hug, kiss and bemused smile about her new accessories. "My grandchildren wear them," he says. "I didn't know my sister wore them. " Mary, a "Saturday Night Live" and Second City veteran, laughs, as she often does, and relates how her long-ago boyfriend's daughter introduced her to Silly Bandz last summer.

By Annie Sweeney and William Lee, Tribune reporters | September 18, 2010

The .45-caliber handgun found feet from the body of Officer Thomas Wortham IV passed through three states and many hands before a chance encounter at a convenience store set it on its tragic course for Chicago. The weapon was among several brought to Chicago's streets as part of a gun-trafficking scheme orchestrated by an Englewood man who had risen from a tough upbringing but couldn't shake his criminal ties back home when he arrived at a Mississippi college. The scheme depended on young Mississippi residents who were willing to illegally buy the guns for him, then blindly hand them over for $100 or less in return.

When Dwyane Wade stopped long enough Saturday morning in front of the Trump Tower in downtown Chicago to be interviewed by WMAQ-Ch. 5, I first wondered why he hadn't gone home yet. Wade already had met with the Bulls, Knicks and Nets in town, and he could meet with the only team left on his list, the Heat, back in Miami, where both have an address and spa privileges. Then something obvious occurred to me that represents perhaps the single, significant factor that could affect NBA free agency, as far as the Bulls are concerned.

The White Sox take great pride in cultivating a family atmosphere within their organization, but there's one possible defection that might actually alleviate some tension. Ozney Guillen, son of manager Ozzie Guillen, has attracted interest from other teams for next week's amateur draft. With extremely few exceptions, the Sox have frequently selected the children of uniformed personnel and other high-ranking team employees in recent drafts. That includes outfielder Kenny Williams Jr., the son of the Sox's general manager, who was selected by the Sox in the sixth round of the 2008 draft out of Wichita State.